Blanching-machine.



. c. E. STEERE.

BLANCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-9.19M.

1,290,396. Patented Jan. 7,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

c, E. STEERE.

BLANCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION ,FILED AUG.9.19I5.

1,290,396. Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

0. E. ,STE ERE. .BLANCH ING MACHINE.

APPLICATION {ILED AUG.9| I915.

' Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

C. E. STEERE.

aun'cuma MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-9| 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. ,CLARENOE E. STEERE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SPRAGUE GAN NING MACHINERZ COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

BLANCHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

. Application iiled August 9, 1915. Serial No; 44,596.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, CLARENCE E, STEERE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at."

i which the following is a full, clear, concise,

and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to blanching machines, that is, to machines for washing and cooking material such as peas which are to be canned, in which the loose material 1s fed through awvater tank in which the material is washed and cooked.

One of the objects of my invention is to simplify the construction of such machinery and increase its efliciency.

In the drawings'n which I have shown one embodiment of my invention Figure 1 is a vertical axial section .of a

*blanching machine showing" the conveyer within the tank, and the hopper which supplies the material to the conveyer;

Fi 2 is a front elevation ofthe machlne showing the tank and the hood which houses the upper half-of the conveyor;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 1 showing the drive mechanism for the conveyor, and showing the distributing chamber in cross section;

Fig. 4.- is a section on the line 4.- 4 of Fig. 1 showing the cylindrical conveyerandthe supporting rollers therefor;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the front-end of the machine, part of thehood being broken away to show the perforations in the cylindrical conveyer, and showing the dr ving and clutch mechanism for the conveyer;

Fig. 6 is a section on, the line 65-45 of Fig.

3 showing one of the rollers for supporting theiconveyer and the bearings for this roller; an

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the rear end of the conveyer showing the discharge vanes for lifting the material out of the conveyer.

Referring now to the drawings in detail the machine shown comprises a supply hop-' per 11 to which the material to be washed or,c0oked is supplied in any suitable manner, a rotatable screw conveyer 12 to which the material is fed from therhopper, a tank, 13 in which the conveyerrotates, a hood 14. for inclosing the upper part of the conveyer, supports 15 on which the tank is mounted, drlving mechanism 16 for the conveyer, steam supply iping 17 fer heating the water in the tan and supply piping 17 for supplying water to the tank.

The tank 12 comprises a semi-cylindrical casing 18 which may be of sheet material and substantially semi-circular'front and rear heads 19 and 20 to which the casin 18 is se cured. The front and rear heads are providedwvith hand holes 21 and 22 for cleaning, inspection, etc.', which are closed by hand hold plates 23 and 24:. Thehood 14- comprises semi-cylindrical portions 25 which may be of sheet metal, yoke members 26 to which the portions 25 are connected and front and rear heads 27 and 28 which match up with the front and rear heads 19 and 20 of the tank to inclose the ends 'of the con,- veyer. 12. The hood is provided with ventfittings 29 to allow for the escape of steam.

165 9 and 20 4 The conveyer 12 comprises a perforated cylindrical casing 30 which may be of sheet metal, circular front and rear heads 31 and 32 to which the casing 30 is connected and acentral hollow core 33 which maybe of cast iron, front and rear fittings 34 and 35 which also may be of cast iron, a helical web 36 extending between the core 33 and casing 39, discharge vanes 37 for liftingthemate rial out of the conveyer, and a flaring discharge fitting 38 through which the material is delivered after it has been washed and cooked. The front fitting 34 comprises a gear portion 39 for connection with the driving mechanism, a roller engaging p'ortion 40 f r engagement with the supporting rollers, a flange portion 41 to which the 035-, f

ing 30 is secured, a flan e portion 42 to which the core 33 1s connecte adistributing chamber 43 .which receives the material from the hopper 11, and arms 43 extending between the discharge chamber and the gear portion 39. The discharge chamber 43 is provided with openings 44 to permit the escape of the material therethrough as the chamber rotates. The capacity of these openings may be varied by means of an annular adjustable member 45 located within'the chamber 43, and provided with openings 46 correspond ing in size and location to the openings 44. The member 45 may be held in adjusted position in any suitable manner, as by screw and slot connection 47 (Figs. 1 and 3).

The rear'fitting 35 comprises a central flange portion 48 to which the core 33 is connected, a closer portion 48 for closing the end of the core, an outer flange portion 49 to which the casing 30 is connected, a roller engaging portion 50 for engagement with the supporting rollers, and arms 50 extendingbetween the flange portion 48 and the roller engaging portion 50. The discharge vanes 37 (Fi 7) comprise wing portions 51 which are veled at their inner ends as shown at 52, for lifting thematerial to be discharged, and guide portions 53 for directing the material toward the discharge'opening 54.

The roller engaging portions 40 and 50 rest on rollers 55 (Figs. 1, 4 and 6) which are mounted on longitudinally extending shafts 56 mounted in bearings 57 and 58.

The casing 30 is provided with perforations 59 to permit the water in the tank 13 to enter the conveyer to wash and cook the material therein. The tank 13 may be provided with a drain outlet 60 to draw ofl' surplus water from the tank. The hopper 11 comprises a discharge spout 61 which extends through openings 62 and 63 in the .head 27 of the hood and head 31 of the conveyer, respectively, to deliver the material from the hopper to the distributing chamber 43, and is provided with an adjustable slide 64 for cutting oil the materialin the hopper from the discharge chamber,

I and is hinged to the front head 27 of the hood,'as shown at 65, so at the hopper can be swung outwardly and upwardly, as

. shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, to permit access to the distributing chamber and to the adjustable member 45.

The driving mechanism 16 comprises a pinion 66 meshing with the gear portion 39, a shaft 67 on which the pinion is secured, bearings 68 and 69 in which the shaft is mounted, and asprocket 70 driven by any suitable mechanism, not shown. The sprocket 70 is provided with a clutch por- .tion 71 for engagement with a clutch member 72 which is operated by means of a clutch shifting lever 73 pivoted on the 1,29o,see

. lows: Material is glpplied to the hopper 11 in any suitable manner; water is supplied to the tank 13 through the supply pipe l7,'

and water is heated by means of steam supplied through the piping 17. The sprocket 0 is driven from any suitable source of power, not shown. The clutch lever 73 is shifted to cause the clutch members 72 and 71 to engage to cause the rotation of the cylindrical conveyer 12 through the medium of the pinion 66 and gear portion 39. The slide 64 is opened to permit the material in the hopper 11 to gravitate into the distributing chamber 43 from whence it drops through the openings 44 and 46 into the interior of the casing 30. As the casing 30 rotates the material therein, due to its gravity, tends to remain in the bottom part of the casing and follows the convolutlons formed by the web 36 andis thus advanced from the front to the rear end of the easing. At the rear end of the'casing the material is lifted by the wings 51 and directed by the guides 53 to cause it to pass up through the opening 54' and discharge fitting 38. As the material is passing through the conveyer it is thoroughly washed and cooked by the water which .forced its way within the casing 30 through the opening 59. The capacity of the opening 44 may be varied by adjusting the member 45. When it is desired to adjust this member 45 the slide 64 is closed and the hopper .11 swung up out of the way to permit access to the interior of the distributing chamber.

If desired means may be provided for supplying compressed air to agitate the material as it is advanced through the conveyer. For this purpose, I have shown a supply piping, indicated in general at 75, comprising two distributing pipes 76 extending longitudinally beneath the conveyer, and through the front head of the tank, two vertical pipe sections 77 communicating with the pipe 76, two horizontal pipe sections 78 communicating with the sections 77,'an elbow 29 and a T-fitting 80 for connecting the various pipe sections. The T-fitting 80 is connected with any suitable source of compressed air. The distributing pipes 77 are provided with jet apertures 81 (Fig. 3) through which the air escapes into the water in the tank beneath the conveyer.

As the conveyer rotates the air escaping through the jet apertures 81 rises up against the lower surface of the casing 30 and finds its way through theperfor'ations 59 in the casing and rises up through the material which is being advanced through the casing causing the material to be further agitated.

- ing therethrough, said conveyer havinga" Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire. to secure byl et ters Patent is tank, a conveyer operating therein, said conveyer comprising a rotatable casing having a head at one end'thereof having an opendistributing chamber located within said casing in communication with said opening, said chamber having an openin therefrom to the interior of saidcasing, an means for adjusting the capacit of said last opening.

2. In a machine 0 the classde'scribed, a tank, a conveyer operating therein, said conveyer comprising a rotatable casing having a head atone end thereof having an open- L 5 pivotally mounted so that it can be swung ing therethrough, said conveyerhaving a distributing chamber located within said casing in communication with said opening,

said chamber having an opening therefrom to the interior of said casing, means for adjusting the capacity of said last opening and means for supplying material to sai distributing chamber comprising a hopper away to permit access to said adjusting means. I

,3. In a machine of the class described, a

conveyer comprising a rotatable casing havinga head at one end" thereof having an opening therethrough, said conveyer havin a distributing chamber located withinsai casing in communication with said opening, said chamber having an opening therefrom,

to the interior of said casing, means for-adjusting the capacity of said last openin and means for supplying material to" sai tributing chamber comprising .a hopper pivotally mounted. so that it can be swung" away td'per'mit access to said adjusting tion to deliver to the distributingchamber.

hollow core and a helical web connectin said casing and core, a member locate f a distributing chamber therein in commuin-v cation with said 0 enmg, said chamber having an opening t erefrom to the'interior of the casing.

5. In a machine of the opening therein, said conveyer having a 1101? re ns is dflche b ts-E lto the'" p adjust ngij'the saidcliamber belng'substantially cylindrica I and saidladju'sting means comprisin 3, cyl- 100 indeihaving an opening registerabde dis-Q th opening leading from the chamber fitted 4. In a machine of the class"describcd,l a tank, a conveyer operating therein, said conveyer comprising a rotatable casing having a head at one end thereof having an opening therein, said conveyer' having a "Lin l said apertur a a 3510', machine of the class described a tank, a; 'conveyer for advancing material through'lsaid tank, and means for supply-c ing air to: agitate the material as it is forced f through said tank, said conveyer' compris- 125 ing an apertured casing along which said class assented tank, a conveyer operating .vthereln, said low core and a helical web connec'tingsaid casing and core, a member located within w Y said casing having a flange ortion for en- 1. ha machine of the class descrlbed, a r

ing ahead at one end thereof having an openingtherein, said conveyor having a hollow. core and a helical web connecting said "casing and core, a member located within i said casing having a flange ortion for ensaid hollow core an having a distri utmg chamber therein in communica' tion with'said o ening, said chamber having an openin t erefrom to the interior of the casing, sai member also havin a flange portion engaging said casing an a gear portion: for engagement with a driving memben, a j

In amachine of the class described, a tank, *a'! conveyer, operating therein, said conveyer comprising a rotatablecasing havj 'mr a head-at one end thereof having an tank,fa conveyer operating therein, S8116,

openingltherethroughsaid conveyer having ut ngchamber located within said communication with said opening,

avin ggan opening therefrom tenor 19 sa d casing, and means-for aci'ty of said last opening,

with

within, said chamber. $.-In;" g tank, la :on veyer, for advancing material 1 means, said pivot being locatedso that grav ity will normallyhold said hopper in posi machineof .the class described a through aidtankgand means for supplying through a d tank, said conveyer comprisbrtured casing along which said material; s-advanced, theair being supplied f to the material 1 through :said apertures.

9 Iniagmachine o the class described a V tank, lajscrewsconveyer for advancing material throughsaidtank, and means for su plyingtair. to agitate the material as it is ortionij orcedvlthroiigh' said tank, said conveyor 1comprising a rotatable apertured casing :alongvvhich said material 1s advanced, the

air beingfsilpplied to. the material through material is advanced, the air' being supplied to'the material through said apertures, said air supply means comprising a gripe provided with jet openings located e ow the water line of said tank.

11. In a machine of the class described a tank, a screw conveyer for advancing material through said tank, and means for supplying air to agitate the material as it is forced through said tank, said conveyer comprising a rotatable apertured casing along which said material is advanced, the

naaaeee air being supplied to the material through said apertures, said air supply means com- Witnesses.

CLARENCE E. STEERE. Witnesses: LELAND A. BABCOCK, DANIEL G. Tnmwcn.

a pipe having jet openings therein 15 

